Who Got Caught Snoozin’ at the La Crosse Criterium?

If there is a crit suited to my skill-set, the flat, four-corner, La Crosse Criterium is it. I have been racing this crit for the last 4 to 5 years and have actually won it once upon a time. However, this year’s edition of the 35+ Cat 1/2/3 La Crosse Critierium was full of a few surprises. First, I was surprised at how small the field was. With only 25 riders, the race was sure to be fast and aggressive. Second, I was surprised at how well my legs felt after two hard days of racing. I’m not sure they felt strong enough to make the break, but they responded well to every attack. I was not surprised that my teammate Laszlo made the small break of two. Nor was I surprised that he won the head-to-head sprint. However, I certainly was surprised that the field got jumped by an out-of-state rider with two laps to go and absolutely no one responded soon enough. Hindsight is always 20/20, but I would love to have this race back. For now it will be filed under “Lessons Learned.”

This was still an incredibly fun criterium and one I hope to race for many years to come.

The Warm-Up at the La Crosse Criterium

Thin Field Rolls Up to the Starting Line

Holding the Wheel of Mike Heagney (A Strong Intelligentsia Rider)

Chasing Down a Small Attack over the Start/Finish Line

Preparing to Sprint for 4th. . .

Grabbing Ben’s Wheel with One Lap to Go

Laszlo Cruising in for the Win after Spending 14 Laps in a Break of Two Riders